Obituary of Edna Vivian Westin

Edna (Edie) Veen Westin, died Wednesday, September 29, 2021 in St. Louis Park, MN. She was 96 years old. Edie was born November 3, 1924 in Cathay, ND, approximately 65 miles northwest of Jamestown. She grew up on a wheat farm and was the 11th of twelve children of Theodore (Ted) and Martha Veen, and was the last surviving sibling. She attended a one-room school a half-mile from her home through the 8th grade. Edie attended high school in New Rockford and graduated in 1942. She moved to Duluth to attend business college and worked as a bookkeeper at Kapus Motors. It was there that she met Verner (Vern) Westin who had purchased a new car following his service in World War II. They married in 1949. While raising a family with three children, Edie was also active in Vern’s construction and real estate business as well as in her church and community. They lived in Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood and were founding members of Concordia Lutheran Church. The family enjoyed time camping and fishing on the North Shore as well as golf, travel and many other activities. With the downturn in Duluth’s economy, the couple moved to Chaska in 1970 and resumed their business until retirement. They travelled throughout the country in their motorhome and Edie often said these were some of the happiest years of her life. Vern died in 1987 at the age of 69. In 1995, Edna remarried Carlton (Carlie) Anderson and moved to a new home the couple built on Hamlet Lake in Deerwood. She enjoyed her time there and made many new friends. She returned to the Twin Cities area in 2012 so she could be closer to her grandchildren and their families. Edie was preceded in death by her parents Ted and Martha, husband Vern, daughter Judy Ellis, granddaughter Anna Westin, grandson Curtis Cooney, and her eight brothers and three sisters. She is survived by her son Mark (Kitty) Westin, daughter Mary (Neil) Hanscombe, eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. A “Celebration of Life” service will be held Monday, October 11 at 11:00 a.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3801 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park, followed by lunch at Mark and Kitty’s nearby home in Minneapolis. In place of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Withall Foundation, 5354 Parkdale Drive, St. Louis Park, MN 55416. Withall provides education and advocacy for the prevention of eating disorders.